Want to increase employee engagement without spending a ton of money? Double down on your employee recognition efforts.

An easy way to recognize the hard work of your employees is by giving out employee recognition awards at the end of each year — or each quarter. Awards can be given for anything, really. At TINYpulse, we give out the following:

The Spirit Award

This award is given to the individual who most embodies company culture and lives and breathes its values on a daily basis. The person who receives this award enhances the work environment simply by being themselves. They’re jovial, encouraging, supportive, and friendly. Quite simply, they make work a better place.

MVP

Over the course of a year, every company has at least one employee that proves themselves to be completely indispensable. Without the most valuable player (MVP), one thing is certain: there’d be a ton of slack to pick up.

Going the Extra Mile

Most employees direct a majority of their focus on their own work. Sure, they might lend a hand from time to time, but they’ve got their own responsibilities that are most important to them. Then there’s the employee who consistently goes above and beyond. This person always volunteers to take on extra work and pinch hit for coworkers. Beyond that, they deliver exemplary service to all customers and partners.

Rookie of the Year

SOURCE: giphy.com

While veteran employees are usually most responsible for a company’s successes, just because someone is a new hire doesn’t mean they are incapable of leaving their mark on their new company — and quickly. Which new hire has had the most positive impact on the organization within the first year of their employment? This person deserves the Rookie of the Year award.

Feel free to steal those awards for your employees if you’d like. But if you’re in need of additional inspiration, we’ve got you covered too. Here are some more ideas for employee awards:

Most Innovative

During meetings — or even just in random conversation — one employee on your team invariably comes up with amazing idea after amazing idea. This person is responsible for brainstorming new revenue-generating initiatives, improving work flows, and figuring out how to provide even better customer service.

Most Frugal

Just because you’re given a budget doesn’t mean you need to spend all of it. Of the team members who are in charge of managing budgets, one of them will always use a lower percentage of the money they’re allotted. This person deserves to be recognized for saving the company some cash.

The Encyclopedia

When we’re struggling to find a resource or recall a fact, we can always turn to Google. But every office has an employee who seemingly has a Google search bar in their brain. The person who can easily answer all of the various questions members of the team asks deserves this award. Who does your team always turn to for knowledge?

The Calm, Cool, and Collected Award

SOURCE: giphy.com

Work can be stressful for most of us — there’s no denying that. But even during the most hectic times of the year, every company has one employee who seems utterly unfazed by the fast-paced nature of work. While everyone else is frantic, this individual remains calm, cool, and collected at all times.

There’s really no end to the kinds of awards you can give members of your team. Are there any awards you hand out that aren’t on our list?